5 Preface Preface Dear reader, The countries that partner German development cooperation span an extremely broad range of cultural and religious diversity which holds great potential for pioneering innovative solutions to existing development problems. However, this kind of social complexity and variety also presents a significant challenge for our work. Development approaches are not easily transferrable but have to be adapted to the respective political, economic, social and cultural context, if the desired results are to be achieved and the relevant people reached. Even the best development initiatives can only succeed if they are supported by the decisionmakers and people in our partner countries themselves. Our high regard for local traditions and values encourages our partners to assume direct responsibility for the development processes in their countries. For several decades now we have been working in Muslim countries on behalf of the German Government, in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Together with its partners, GIZ implements measures for various clients in 38 of the roughly 50 predominantly Muslim countries around the world. Public debates about the role of religion and religious actors gain momentum in the course of the recent political changes in North Africa and the Middle East. Although future actors and tendencies are not yet entirely clear, it already becomes obvious that religious actors (e. g. the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and An-Nahda in Tunisia) have gained mobilizing powers and thus influential roles within their societies. They will be represented in future governments and parliaments in many of our partner countries. Regina Bauerochse Barbosa, Director of the Mediterranean and Middle East Division Religious authorities have traditionally enjoyed great influence within Muslim societies. They do not only provide believers with orientation regarding faith and religious practice but also with a feeling of social affiliation as well as with several social services. Thus, they also strongly influence public discourse. To ignore these actors when promoting democratization and development means to neglect crucial parts of civil societies and their potentials. This would not only be a loss of opportunities but could potentially lead to a radicalization of these groups. The Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries was set up within the Mediterranean Region and Middle East Division in 2007 in order to help mainstream the issue of cultural and religious diversity in development cooperation. On the following pages you can read about how the Programme Office is actively working with its partners on the ground to bring about sustainable development in these countries. You can also find out more about its track record in terms of its successes and experience to date. I hope you enjoy your read. 05

6 Islam and development a contradiction? Islam and development a contradiction? Today, Islamic movements are an integral part of the civil societies of Muslim countries. The growing importance of Islamic organisations and educational institutions, mosques, Islamic councils and religious dignitaries within these societies should not, however, automatically be equated with tendencies towards radicalisation. In many places Islamic organisations offer basic social services and so help reduce poverty, provide education and supply medical care. Consequently they are often more strongly embedded in the population than government authorities. >> Opportunities and challenges for cooperation Development cooperation can no longer ignore these movements after all, involving moderate Islamic institutions in development processes can reduce conflict potential and increase the level of acceptance of our work, as well as its effectiveness and sustainability. Against this background, GIZ has made it its purpose to more actively embrace the potential of Islamic cultures and societies to help shape development processes. Islamic values such as the preservation of God s creation, for example, or the focus on the common good, or social justice as an obligation to ensure equitable distribution of profits, exhibit distinct parallels with the guiding principles of sustainable development. At the same time, Islam is not a monolithic construct with a rigid, unchanging system of values and norms, as it is often simplistically

7 portrayed. It is shaped not only by a variety of re ligious currents and legal schools but also by local traditions and political and historical experiences, such as those from the colonial period. It is precisely this diversity that presents opportunities for fruitful cooperation. A differentiated perception of the socio-cultural context and a realistic assessment of religiously motivated social forces are therefore vital tools that enable us to better gauge what can and cannot be negotiated in a given situation and to make use of the scope for action. >> Breaking down prejudices Often, though, successful cooperation is hindered by a great variety of obstacles and prejudices, including conflicts between state powers and Islamic opposition forces. Tensions between the Western cultural sphere and Islam are also a crucial factor. The relationship between the two is often filled with prejudice and stereotypes. Public opinion in Europe is dominated by an image of Islam that attributes the causes of development gaps and a backlog of reform to the religion Islam, suspecting Islamic culture of harbouring a high propensity for violence. Conversely, Muslims fear that, by intervening in political systems and selectively promoting individual actors, the West wants to influence the partner country s society, culture and religion in order to create an Islam that is more amenable to Western taste. This is where development cooperation has a vital role to play in reducing tensions and information deficits. But to do this takes experts with a high degree of both cultural and religious sensitivity. GIZ has made it its purpose to more actively embrace the potential of Islamic cultures and societies to help shape development processes. 07

8 Islam and development a contradiction? >> Culturally sensitive approaches are a success GIZ initiatives in the field of Islam and development cooperation demonstrate that Islamic development concepts and basis for action frameworks can be compatible with the values of German development cooperation. This enables development projects to be designed in ways that lead to tangible and measurable improvements to people s lives, and that promote good governance and non-violent conflict resolution. A capacity for dialogue is needed here along with the ability to engage expertly and competently with the realities on the ground and to embrace values that, in many partner countries, are significantly imbued with Islamic philosophy. Examples of successful cooperation include projects set up to introduce social health insurance schemes for the poor on the basis of Zakat (the obligation to contribute a proportion of personal wealth for the benefit of the needy), microfinance in accordance with the principles of Islamic banking, cooperative ventures with mosques and imams on environmental education and biodiversity, and collaboration with religious dignitaries to improve the legal status of women and combat domestic violence. 8

9 Development cooperation has a vital role to play in reducing tensions and filling information gaps.

10 Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries Galvanised by what is perceived as the growing politicisation of Islam and increasingly strong extremist tendencies, the world today is focusing more attention on Islamic issues. Faced with societal conflicts and geopolitical interests, many people in Muslim countries are now questioning the credibility of global problem-solving strategies, and rejecting external influences. >> Occident meets Orient In order to strengthen confidence in development cooperation and boost its acceptance among the population, especially within the complex social environment of our Muslim partner countries, high standards of quality and effectiveness are essential, along with a clear focus on the partner, transparency and intercultural sensitivity. This all needs to tie in with a differentiated awareness of the religious and cultural manifestations of Islam, its values and traditions as well as of the religious and secular spectrum in civil society in order to en sure that different interests and reform approaches can be identified and successfully integrated into development processes. The Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries was set up in 2007 with the aim of further mainstreaming cultural and religious diversity in future development cooperation. The approach emerged from a series of pilot projects with Islamic actors which showcased the importance of culture and religion for the progress and results of development processes. 10

11 Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries >> What we do One of the programme s most important tasks is to design and implement culturally adapted development measures, with the aim of improving results and raising levels of acceptance and sustainability. The programme also offers a range of sector-specific advisory services for projects and experts in German development cooperation. The most important services offered include: implementing pilot projects that understand religious and cultural diversity as an engine for development; providing advice throughout GIZ on the culturally sensitive design of development measures; analysing the partner landscape in Muslim countries and involving new actors in development cooperation; preparing the ground for dealing with new development-related issues; strengthening the intercultural competences of German development cooperation experts; running dialogue forums with local partners (religious-secular dialogue); reappraising successful development cooperation approaches relating to the issues of Islam and culture, documenting them and transferring them to other partner countries; offering expertise and issuing publications on sectoral themes. In addition to running training courses, such as those that have been held regularly in Yemen, Algeria, Egypt and Jordan, and also in Germany in recent years, the Programme Office organises regular events dealing with topical development cooperation themes in Muslim countries. These include conferences on political Islam, Islamic economics, or the cartoons controversy, or Sharia law, and its repercussions for German development cooperation. 11

12 Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries >> Our regions and our partners Regionally, our work focuses on the Arabicspeaking countries, South-East Europe, Central Asia and Afghanistan. In future the Programme Office intends to extend its activities to Muslim countries of South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Numerous practical examples from Yemen, Pakistan, Mauritania and Indonesia show how important it is to involve Islamic actors and representatives of traditional elites to make development processes succeed. This not only gives our measures greater legitimacy, it also strengthens civil society and the individual responsibility of our partners. By creating and extending partner networks in the traditional religious sector, the Programme Office therefore supports projects under German development cooperation. One of the ways the Programme Office often approaches new themes is through dialogue forums which bring partner governments around a table with representatives of civil society and religious institutions as well as with figures from academia and research. The objective here is to take entirely different viewpoints and craft a common perspective. 12

13 Numerous practical examples show how important it is to involve Islamic actors and representatives of traditional elites if development processes are to succeed. 13

14 Our thematic range Our thematic range Islam has a deep influence on the lives of people in many partner countries of the German development cooperation. Not only does Islam offer guidance on religious practices and interpersonal relations, it also has a variety of impacts on culture, law, politics, business and the form of government. Interfaces with Islam thus arise in a whole range of fields covered by development cooperation. In many of these fields, involving Islamic actors paves the way for more effective cooperation. In others, however, there may be tension between the objectives of development cooperation and the partners interests. High cultural sensitivity is required for example concerning women s development, legal advice or good governance. As well as mainstreaming Islam in development cooperation and harnessing new topics relevant to the work with our partners in Muslim countries, the Programme Office s focus is also directed at providing advisory services in fields where there is notable conflict potential. In addition to culture, Islamic business ethics, political Islam and Islamic education, the Programme Office also looks at issues like climate change, environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources, Islamic microfinance, Islamic law, legal reform and women s rights, which it deals with in the context of pilot projects and consulting services for German development projects, as well as through studies, training schemes and conferences. >> Strengthening women s rights Women s rights in Muslim countries are determined by the Sharia and cultural values, some of which are the result of patriarchal traditions. In matters of marriage and divorce, the custody of children, inherited nationality or dress codes, this frequently results in women being put at a disadvantage, a situation that is often declared to be virtually sacrosanct on the basis of the Sharia. Sharia is also the reason for the reservations that most Islamic states have when ratifying the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). There are considerable regional differences in the interpretation and implementation of Islamic codes. Their application can be left to the individual s personal discretion (as in Central Asia, for example), codified as civil status rights (e.g. in Morocco), or even enforced by specially trained custodians or guardians (as is the case in Iran or Saudi Arabia). Equality of rights is a prerequisite for sustainable development, however. And the basis for this is not only equal treatment under law, but also access to education. For many women though, education as a human right is something that exists only on paper. Education gives people the opportunity to choose their own path in life and to participate in a representative democracy. Furthermore, women s involvement in the economic process needs to be strengthened, as the competences they do acquire through better access to education are often still unutilised on the labour market. 14

15 Our thematic range The Programme Office works gender approaches into the design and implementation of pilot projects; it also advises government institutions and civil society actors in Muslim countries on the advance ment of women. Female Quran teachers are key partners and vital multipliers when it comes for example to introducing the issue of biodiversity into the curricula of Algerian Quran schools. The dialogue forums run by the Programme Office also offer an important platform for debating development-policy topics from the angle of gender-specific roles, rights and needs. >> Focus on security The region is marked by a number of conflicts. Besides the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, there are other disputes both between and within states over natural resources, minority rights, equality of opportunity, access to education and work. International terrorism also poses a constant threat for Muslim countries and impacts massively on their economies. It is no surprise, then, that security has become an increasingly important focus of GIZ s work in recent years. As development policy becomes more interlinked with issues of foreign and security policy, development cooperation is increasingly being tasked with the peaceful reconciliation of interests and with promoting negotiation processes. How well prepared are our experts to deal with these demanding tasks? How can trust be reinforced, and how can the ownership of our partners for joint projects in Muslim countries be strengthened? These are questions that the Programme Office tries to answer. In line with GIZ's Spotlight of the Year for 2009, Developing Security Securing Development, the Programme Office organised a conference on the subject of Blasphemy as an Development cooperation is increasingly tasked with the peaceful reconciliation of interests and with promoting negotiation processes. 15

16 Our thematic range international security risk in collaboration with the GIZ Representation in Berlin in May The trigger was what had become known as the cartoons controversy, which since 2005 had unleashed worldwide protests by Muslims and led to the loss of well over 100 lives in our partner countries, too. Added to this, the events and training schemes organised by the Programme Office on intercultural competence also focus on the issue of security bearing in mind that understanding the religious and traditional setting in our partner countries enhances the personal security of development cooperation experts. >> Focus on Islamic economics Muslim countries need to find the right response to the changing circumstances brought about by high population growth rates and advancing economic globalisation, and adapt their economic structures to suit. More and more young people are entering the labour market, yet economic growth in these countries continues to have little impact on employment. The relative insignificance of the private sector in most Muslim countries means that value creation has not yet been diversified. Typically, numerous informal economic actors dominate the scene. Increases in productivity are few and employment opportunities for the population are limited. In particular, the female employment rate in the Middle East is the lowest in the world. The global economic crisis, and the fact that it had a relatively minor impact on the Islamic bank ing system, has given Islamic solutions such as Islamic microfinance a considerable lift in recent years. Consequently, Islamic economics and business ethics are key topics at the Programme Office s dialogue forums in the Middle East/ North Africa region and in Central Asia. Together with the Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs and the Algerian-German economic development programme, the Programme Office is working to devise more efficient ways of extending microcredits and to improve the administration of the Zakat, a fund for religious charitable donations. 16

17 Aus dem Themenspektrum des Programmbüros 17

18 Maghreb: Tough issues brought to the table Maghreb: Tough issues brought to the table Development needs vision, and it needs alliances that are capable of action. Following this maxim, a series of events called the Maghreb Round Tables initiated an innovative exchange among a wide variety of actors on urgent development-policy issues in the region. Religious dignitaries met representatives of science and business, and members of government institutions met activists from civil society organisations. The events dealing with the environment, migration and economic development highlighted one point in particular: on the journey towards establishing shared guiding principles and solutions for sustain able development, dialogue and reflection are essential. >> Tradition and modernity In recent decades, social and economic changes have not only brought about significant economic growth in the Maghreb but have also strengthened the region s own concept of its identity. This is most evident in the move towards Islamic solutions such as the Islamic banking system. The main focus of the first dialogue event (held in Morocco in April 2008) was on the significant potential of Islamic business ethics for sustainable development and the role of traditional and religious actors in development processes. This also involved addressing the difficult position of many women in the region who, caught between the traditional gender role and the demands of modern life, are often unable to realise their economic potential. In the course of controversial, but nonetheless constructive debates, the participants succeeded in agreeing on common values and development goals. Successful approaches from various countries in North Africa have helped to keep the dialogue process going and have given it greater depth. >> Creating a better future Environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources are particularly critical issues in the countries of the Maghreb and are major factors in the push for greater sustainable development in the region. The increasing scarcity of water, in particular, is an enormous challenge for the people of North Africa and one that demands innovative solutions. This explains why the transfer of expert knowledge on climate change and environmental protection was a central theme of the second dialogue forum (Algeria, November 2008), along with the role of socio-cultural and religious values in sustainable environmental development. A lack of environmental awareness was identified as a major problem here. Examples from Tunisia and Algeria illustrated how scientific arguments, traditional values and religious teaching in environmental education can be effectively intertwined in very different ways in line with each country s given political and socio-cultural context in order to reach more people. The dialogue forum provided the impetus that led to biodiversity being included as a subject in the curriculum of Quran schools in Annaba, Algeria. 18

19 Maghreb: Tough issues brought to the table >> Youth, education and migration High unemployment and the ensuing lack of prospects for juveniles and young adults are common characteristics of the Maghreb countries. In the hope of finding work and a better life, many people are turning their backs on North Africa. The majority of them are drawn to Europe. The third event in the series of Maghreb Round Tables (Spain, April 2009) was dedicated to the causes, the extent and the consequences of migration, focusing particular attention on the problems of young people and women. Participants agreed that a series of complementary measures is needed in order to curb the detrimental effects of migration and to harness the potential for development. Both state-sponsored and private-sector measures are required, at the local and regional level but also at the international level. Better social integration of young people and improved access to high quality education and labour markets are key factors. Project examples from the countries of North Africa highlighted how politics, civil society and religious actors can bring about tangible improvements in the lives and future prospects of young people. They also drew attention to the scope of civil society s ongoing engagement in youth promotion in the Maghreb. In recent decades, social and economic changes have not only brought about significant economic growth in the Maghreb, but have also strengthened the region s own concept of its identity. 19

20 Algeria: Green Islam Algeria: Green Islam The Muslim countries of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia are seriously affected by global climate change, increasing desertification and the depletion of natural resources. The overexploitation of water resources, for instance, jeopardises people s drinking water supplies just as much as it threatens agricultural production. The discourse surrounding environmental awareness and protection of the environment in these regions is therefore now becoming more important. Islamic theologians are also increasingly picking up on this issue, and are now addressing it in their Friday sermons, bringing it to a wide public audience. The Islamic concept of the relationship between man and nature is founded on four central tenets which the Islamic ecological discourse interprets as the duty of every Muslim to uphold for the good of the environment. Derived from traditional sources such as the Quran, the sunna and the hadiths, this duty is about preserving God s creation (fitra) and about the unity of creation, in which all things are connected to each other (tauhid), as well as the balance of creation, which represents a perfect state and therefore has to be restored and must not be destroyed (mizan), and the role of humans as the trustees of God s creation (khilafa). As interpreted by ecological theology, the Quran also commits to conserving natural resources: sura 7:31 calls on Muslims to avoid waste and excess. 20

21 Algeria: Green Islam >> Imams for environmental conservation This ecological and theological understanding fits in very well with the objectives of German develop ment cooperation. GIZ is therefore increasingly involving the religious sector in development measures, and thus giving religious dignitaries the role of multipliers due to their prominent position within the societies of many predominantly Muslim countries. In this way, it is possible to raise awareness for environmental issues across broad swathes of the population. A manual for imams detailing the role of the mosque in environmental education and a textbook on biodiversity for Quran schools have proved to be highly successful measures. Like the manual, which offers imams lines of religious argument enabling them to link the issue of environmental conservation to the Quran for their Friday sermons, the textbook on biodiversity also arose from cooperation between the Algerian-German programme for integrated environmental management, the Algerian Ministries of the Environment and Religious Affairs and the Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries. The success of these measures has been noted well beyond the borders of Algeria, and today resonates in projects in Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. >> Biodiversity at Quran schools The biodiversity textbook aims to give pupils a clear understanding of why ecological diversity is so important for the preservation of human existence. At the same time, the book which was written by a joint team of Algerian natural scientists and religious scholars establishes a connection between the environment and Islam on the basis of religious sources. The textbook vividly explains how humans influence ecosystems and the atmosphere, and describes the connections between environmental pollution and diseases, and the diversity of life, from microorganisms to human beings. A number of Quran schools in the pilot region of Annaba in Algeria have already trialled the textbook in lessons. Thirty Quran teachers have received training from GIZ on how to use the book, and around 2,000 pupils are now familiar with the issue of biodiversity. The Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs advocated distributing the textbook to other Quran schools throughout country. In 2011 the project was documented in a film entitled Theology of Nature Biodiversity Education in Algerian Quran Schools. The pilot project in the Algerian town of Annaba was documented by the Programme Office in the film Belief in change Algerian imams for environmental protection. The Quran calls on believers to conserve natural resources and avoid waste and excess. 21

22 Tajikistan: State and civil society in dialogue Tajikistan: State and civil society in dialogue Muslims account for a large proportion of the population in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. However, governments relationships with both civil society and Islamic actors are often fraught. While the state officially remains secular and atheist, with a tendency towards the authoritarian, Islamic values, norms and institutions often play an increasing role in education, health and economic and social development. German development cooperation is primarily involved in the fields of economic development and education in Central Asia where it adopts a conflict-sensitive approach and specifically promotes participatory dialogue and negotiation processes. The programme s role here is an advisory one. In 2007, for example, it carried out studies in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan entitled Framework for sustainable economic development in Central Asia: cultural-religious and political aspects, conflict potential and causes of fragility whose findings suggest creating opportunities for citizens to play a greater part in shaping the political, economic and social development of their countries. Cultural and religious factors, including some controversial topics, were a prominent feature in the discussions and were hotly debated by the participants, including the role of religious schools (madrasahs) in the country, and the influence of religious authorities on development issues, such as education for girls. Sensitive topics like combating corruption in the school system and business world were addressed, as was the growing level of religiosity in the population and the consequences this had for the state and government policy on religion. Crucial challenges that have to be faced in Tajikistan include improving the quality of education, reforming the economic system, controlling labour migration and designing a democratic and participatory political system. To address these issues, the participants of the dialogue forums produced recommendations directed not only at the Tajik side, but also at German and international development cooperation. >> Helping to shape development Following up this recommendation, a series of dialogue forums on development-policy themes were held in Tajikistan between 2008 and 2010, with the aim of initiating sustainable, participatory negotiation processes. The forums were intended for representatives of the state apparatus, civil society, the media, the private sector and religious actors along with representatives of German and international development cooperation. The forums on the subjects of education, economics and migration were each run in close collaboration with German development cooperation projects and partners from the Tajik Government (the Ministries of Education, Labour and Social Protection, for example). 22

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